Mount Trashmore growing? In the mid-1980s when Southern Sanitation Service (now Waste Management, Inc.) was granted permission to construct and maintain a trash processing facility in North Broward County, both the company and the Broward County Commission told us the useful life factor would be 25 to 30 years – depending on population growth, garbage produced and the effectiveness of recycling. That time’s up. Now, Waste Management, Inc., the global trash hauler and processor, founded by Pompano Beach native Wayne Huizenga, is looking for permission from various governmental municipalities abutting “Mount Trashmore,” to allow for an expansion of 55 additional feet. That expansion will bring “Mount Trashmore” to 280 feet high. Local elected officials are mixed in their reaction to the application. Coconut Creek Mayor Lou Sarbone is opposing it because he claims Coconut Creek’s trash is incinerated and turned to ash. Coconut Creek officials, who complain they have put up with years of horrible smells, air and visual pollution, along with flying litter, passed a resolution on January 10, opposing the increased height. Mayor Sarbone said the expansion is equivalent to adding four to six stories to an existing building. Deerfield Beach Mayor Al Capellini says his city also will object. “I can see Waste Management’s justification to try to plan for the future,” he said. “However, it does impact our residents because they have to look at it. We all use the landfill &ldots; there are not many options we have. I mean, where do we go? It’s the waste we’re generating.” It was reported that Pompano Beach City Commissioner Kay McGinn was to bring up the issue at the last City Commission meeting, but somehow she failed to mention it. Might have something to do with all those $500 political contributions she accepted from Waste Management in her last 10 years in elected office. Pompano’s Mayor Lamar Fisher claimed he knew nothing of the pending request. “I inquired about the issue to see if I had missed an E-mail, call or a flyer. No one on the Commission had received anything either. I have requested that the City Manager (Keith Chadwell) to immediately provide some information on the issue in hopes of preparing a Resolution to oppose the additional height. I’ll wait for the report, which hopefully I’ll get before the next Commission meeting. Then we can move forward a resolution opposing the expansion.” That was an interesting statement coming from Fisher, because according to my sources the municipalities, which will be affected, were given a heads up by County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs that the request had been filed and the county was considering the request. Jacobs either ‘forgot’ to tell the officials in Pompano Beach or she deliberately left Pompano Beach officials out of the loop. Recently it appears that Jacobs has been at odds with the wishes of the members of the Pompano City Commission. She has been obstructive when it comes to the growth of the city. She single-handedly blocked the development of a new Fire Station (which Wal-Mart would have spent $3.5 million as a gift to the city), and the development of a new Super Wal-Mart Store, north of Copans Road. And she has objected to the Local Activity Centers (LACs) in the Eastern CRA and has told city commissioners not to apply – because she will kill the proposal. Jacobs is term-limited and might be looking for another political job. There are rumors that she might want Lamar Fisher’s job – could she be trying to make him look bad? Pompano City Commissioner Charlotte Burrie was more pragmatic in her assessment on the expansion. “The company really has no other choice but to expand because it is running out of space. The landfill is here already and there isn’t going to be any more space in Broward County. If it were cheaper for them to process and dump somewhere else, they would do it. This decision was made 25 years ago, so I think we are stuck being cooperative.” Currently the local dump is limited to 225 feet in height. But continued unchecked residential growth and residential-generated garbage has caused the facility to look at additional expansion possibilities. If approved, the dump will grow to 280 feet, but I personally don’t believe that will ultimately solve the problem. When it reaches capacity again, they will only be back with additional growth plans. On a personal note, I have notified my 17-year-old grandson Corey, who is attending Carson-Long Military School in Pennsylvania, to consult a local Pompano Beach attorney and remember to file the appropriate paperwork for exclusivity rights for ski trails and T-bars, when the dump gets to 2,000 feet. This soon to be mountain ultimately could be a bonanza and a profitable business here in South Florida – think of the advertising slogan – “Skiing in the South.” He could also make a fortune selling nose plugs. It is an acknowledged fact that Waste Management, Inc., is the industry’s leading provider of comprehensive waste management services. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company provides waste solutions to approximately 25 million residential and two million commercial customers in North America. Locally, Waste Management is the premier waste services provider in Broward County. According to internal memos (propaganda, to be sure), they are committed to customer satisfaction and long-term relationships, and employ processes, techniques and technologies that safeguard the environment now and in the future. Waste Management’s commitment to the customer begins with a vast waste removal network. Their brochures tout that Waste Management is strongly committed to the safe and responsible management of waste and the highest quality of service. We are responsive to the concerns of our citizens and work diligently to ensure regulatory compliance and protection of the public’s health and natural resources. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. The truth is that the Landfill is the highest man-made hill in Broward County. It produces noxious and sickening odors and can be seen as an eyesore for miles. But let’s face reality – we have to have someplace to put our garbage. We didn’t recycle very well and we have seen uncontrolled growth in the past 25 years. Waste Management has had the contract since 1984 to provide trash hauling and disposal services to the residents of Pompano Beach. In 1988 the contract was amended to provide additional features, which called for Waste Management to recycle and compost garbage, in a new state-mandated effort to keep landfills from closing earlier than needed.   The facts ultimately proved that very little composting ever took place and Waste Management didn’t adjust the charges. It was learned in 2003 that Waste Management was paid – illegally - an additional $17 million to do the recycling – and never fulfilled their end of the contract. They wanted and needed to get out of a legal dilemma. So they announced in a public relations agreement that they wanted to be “good corporate citizen” and offered the city $5 million up front as a “signing bonus” and would pay the city an additional $750,000 per year for the next 18 years, beginning in 2004. Yep, and in case you forgot, this was the handiwork of former City Manager C. William Hargett, Jr. and then Mayor Kay McGinn. In effect, Waste Management escaped a civil suit that could have cost them tens of millions and possibly charges of fraud and a charge of ongoing criminal activity. This is the same Hargett that allowed Florida Power and Light to overcharge the city for non-existent light poles. It’s the same Hargett that we are currently paying $125 an hour to negotiate the Fire Fighters union contract. When Pompano Beach accepted this plan, the City effectively screwed Pembroke Pines, Hallandale and Dania Beach, who all had decided to file suit against Waste Management. The cities had joined a temporary alliance seeking recovery of more than $34 million that was overcharged by Waste Management. Waste Management again came to the forefront of the news in 2003 when then vice-mayor Kay McGinn, with the guiding hand of Bill Hargett, ushered through a no-bid sweetheart deal giving Waste Management a monopoly for trash pick-up and disposal in Pompano Beach. McGinn claimed it was the best contract in the County and Commissioner E. Pat Larkins claimed, “There ain’t nobody else interested in coming to Pompano.” The only person sitting on the dais, who voted “no” on extending the contract, was Lamar Fisher. McGinn wanted the vote before Palm Aire had the opportunity to vote for a commissioner to replace the late Herb Skolnick. The truth is there were other trash haulers out there, but nobody wanted the word to get out, especially with Sugar Daddy Waste Management making political contributions. Within seven days of the contract extension, the City of Weston struck a better deal with another trash hauler for a lowest cost for service. McGinn’s claim went out the window along with whatever credibility she had. McGinn locked us into a deal which sold the City down the river for an extended 20 years and she also assured herself of continued political contributions. Waste Management itself has provided her the maximum political contribution of $500 every time she has run. In fact her contacts with various trash haulers have generated as many as five checks in the amount of $500. According to public records, Waste Management has also given the maximum amount to every incumbent politician in every political municipally, since they opened Mount Trashmore. At the time, McGinn claimed at a civic meeting, “It’s too bad there aren’t more trash haulers around so I could get $500 each from all of them.” That was one of the more arrogant statements in that political season. Time has passed quickly and now Waste Management is running out of space to process the garbage we produce. Now they are turning to those ‘paid’ politicians for help. The unfortunate thing about politicians in Broward County, who take those ‘political contributions’ – they just don’t seem to remain loyal and remain indebted over the long run. You have to keep greasing the skids. In writing this column, I have tried unsuccessfully on four occasions to contact John Albert and Tony Spadaccia – both employees of Waste Management in their Governmental Affairs Division. We played telephone tag and I have even visited Waste Management offices on Powerline Road and then their offices on NW 48th Street. When I identify myself to the receptionists at their offices, or to their administrative assistants on the telephone, these two honchos just don’t seem to be around for comment – I guess they’re busy deciding whom to fund in this political season. Well remember guys: when it comes to buying politicians, you don’t always get what you pay for. As for us voters, we shouldn’t really want what (or who) these special interests pay for. Now comes the reality. In order to serve South Florida residents, there is an immediate need do a review of their options of which the primary one seems to be allowing the facility to expand to allow them to handle our needs. Do we have any clue what the other options are? If we do consent to expansion (which is almost certain), there should be hard negotiations about what can and can’t be processed at the facility. Currently the landfill accepts residential garbage from Broward County, and construction and demolition trash from both Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. Recycling laws are on the books – sometimes mandated – but rarely enforced. And we need to falsify the notion that asking for forgiveness is better and easier than asking for permission. Waste Management needs to be exploring other alternatives, long before the limitations reach crisis level.